embryonic

adjective

em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈä-nik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development : incipient, rudimentary
an embryonic plan
embryonically adverb

Examples of embryonic in a Sentence

The tourism industry there is still in an embryonic stage.
Recent Examples on the Web But the embryonic development of today's living bats contains clues to these ancient changes. Riley Black, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2023 Working with chicken embryos, his research team identified the key players that are rhythmically expressed during the formation of each vertebral segment in embryonic tissue. Quanta Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023 Within 48 hours, 76% of embryonic kidney cells died—about three times more than the percentage of cells that spent the same amount of time in a more diluted (less plastic-y) solution. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 15 Sep. 2023 All three policy elements are at an embryonic stage, and more migrants could attempt to cross into the country in the coming months as the deadly summer heat at the border gives way to a cooler fall. Andrew Selee, Foreign Affairs, 9 Aug. 2023 Cloning from embryonic cells was already known to work; in 1995, Dr. Wilmut and his research partner, Keith Campbell, had swapped out the nuclei of two sheep embryos with those of two others, producing two identical ewes, Megan and Morag. Amanda Holpuch, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023 To test what these plastics do to our bodies once they’re consumed, the team bathed human embryonic kidney cells in the plastic roughage shed by the baby-food containers. WIRED, 31 July 2023 These stem cells—adult cells known as limbal stem cells, which are distinct from embryonic stem cells—maintain the clear surface layer of the eye; without them, the cornea becomes bumpy, opaque, and painful. Jamie Ducharme, Time, 18 Aug. 2023 An image depicting an embryonic dinosaur developing within an egg between 72 million and 66 million years ago won the Paleoecology category. Issy Ronald, CNN, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embryonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin embryonicus, from embryon-, embryo embryo + Latin -icus -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of embryonic was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near embryonic

Cite this Entry

“Embryonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embryonic. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

embryonic

adjective
em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈän-ik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development
an embryonic plan
embryonically adverb

Medical Definition

embryonic

adjective
em·​bry·​on·​ic ˌem-brē-ˈän-ik How to pronounce embryonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an embryo
2
: being in an early stage of development : incipient, rudimentary
embryonically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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